1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus and methods for positioning windows in a window-based computing environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
When it comes to establishing a more comfortable, efficient, and faster computing environment, the computer monitor may easily be the most important output device of a user's computer system. In a time when most computer components are getting smaller, many believe that bigger is better when it comes to monitors. A larger and higher resolution monitor can reduce eyestrain and increase productivity by allowing a user to view multiple applications simultaneously or view an entire document, spreadsheet, or image without needing to use directional arrows. For this reason, many individuals now build computer systems with multiple monitors despite the fact that the setup may require multiple video cards and cords and leave visual obstructions (i.e., bezels) running through the user's visual workspace.
Fortunately, monitors continue to get bigger and bigger with ever increasing resolutions. For example, at the time of drafting this disclosure, Dell® is now marketing a 30″ LCD computer monitor with a resolution of 2560×1600 pixels. Apple® has released a monitor of similar dimensions and specifications. It is not difficult to anticipate computers monitors reaching 40″ or more, providing a user with a vast amount of useable real estate.
These large screens allow a user to more closely simulate a real-life “desktop” by enabling the user to view multiple files or documents (i.e., “windows”) simultaneously. For example, a user may find it advantageous to simultaneously view multiple electronic resource documents, web pages, images, spreadsheets, or the like while working on a research paper or article, without having to toggle between multiple windows. The ability to view multiple documents simultaneously may also aid considerably in moving to a paperless office. Monitors will most likely continue to increase in both size and resolution, creating a need to more effectively manage and utilize the additional real estate.
Presently, “windows” in the Windows® operating systems include the ubiquitous “close,” “restore down,” “maximize,” and “minimize” buttons near the upper right corner of each window. While useful, these buttons do not enable a user to efficiently position windows at desired locations on the user's computer screen. For example, to get a window to simply cover the left side of a user's computer screen, the user may need to click the “restore down” button, drag the window until the top left corner of the window coincides with the top left corner of the screen, and then manually resize the window to fill the left side of the screen. Even after completing this process, some windows may still overlap or not be positioned exactly as desired by a user.
Alternatively, Windows® provides the “Tile Windows Vertically,” “Tile Windows Horizontally,” and “Cascade Windows” commands which are accessible from the Windows taskbar. However, these commands are not as intuitive as they could be and they do not provide a desired level of control when positioning windows. For example, to get a window to cover the left half of the user's screen, a user would need to open exactly two windows (and make sure neither is minimized) and then select “Tile Windows Vertically” from the taskbar. Alternatively, if more than two windows are open, the user would need to minimize all but two windows and then select “Tile Windows Vertically.” Because a user may have many windows open at any given time, any number of which may or may not be minimized, this process may be cumbersome, unintuitive, and time-consuming.
Other third-party window positioning programs may require a user to initially select from a number of different window patterns. The user may then need to link different applications or windows with regions in one of the window patterns. The program may then position the windows or applications in the corresponding regions of the screen corresponding to the pattern. Such a method for positioning windows is cumbersome and unintuitive. Consequently, some users may choose to forego using such programs altogether.
In view of the foregoing, what is needed is an apparatus and method for more efficiently and intuitively organizing and positioning windows in a user's desktop environment. Ideally, such an apparatus and method would more closely mimic the way a user organizes a real physical desktop. Such an apparatus and method would also ideally be simple and may augment, rather than replace or alter, the “maximize,” “minimize,” and “restore down” buttons familiar to Windows users. Further needed are apparatus and methods to provide a user a greater level of control when positioning windows.